COMMERCIAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9796, 16 July 1903, Page 1

COMMERCIAL.

— * (Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, last night. Owing to the rough weather liaving interfered with the sending forward of stock there were smaller yardings than usual at Addington to-day . Fat cattle : 17 were yarded, including a fair proportion of prime quality. The sale was somewhat dull, and last week's rates 'were barely maintained. The price of beef ruled from 27s to 30s per 1001 b; steers £6 10s to £13 Is, heifers £6 10s to £11 12s, cows £5 to £10. Fat sheep : The entry was comparatively small, and butchers being m short supply as the result of the firmness of last market, they competed briskly for all prime quality ewes, which m consequence realised 2s or 3s per head higher than usual, as much as 24s being given by a butcher for a, pen of ewes. Wethers went to freezing buyers principally, the market being firm at lat© rates. Wethers brought 17s 6d to 24s 6d, prime ewes . 16s 3d to 245, others 12s to 15s 6d, wethers and ewes 17s 9d to 23s 3d. Fat lambs: The yarding comprised about 1100, and the bulk were taken by buyers for export. The market was firm at last week's rates. Tegs brought 17s 9d to 21s 6d, freezers 13s 6d to 17s 7d. ' Pigs : There was a fair entry, but an irregular sale. Porkers brought 33s to 43s 6d, equal to s£d per lb; baconers, 44s to 625, equal to 5d per lb ; choppers. £4. t0 £5 ss. . * ",, ,

A delightfully witty cartoon by F. C. Gould appears m the Westminster Gazette. It is called "No Settled Convictions." The burly "Mr Seddon, m a butcher's apron, standing m a circus-ring, holds aloft m one hand a mutton bone, and m the other a paper hoop, labelled "Preferential Tariffs." Three terriers, each with a Chamberlain face, scour round the ring. One* dog chivvies an old hen named Freetrade, another bites the. calf of a German m uniform, and a third is just about to jump through a hoop, whilst Mr Balfour stands by, saying to himself, "He is oxtremely active, not to say mischievously ; but as I have 'no settled convictions,' it is not for aie | to interfere." J Word has been received at Wanganui j (says the Herald) that Mr Ezra, Brook, i who was organist of St. Mary's Anglican Church, New Plymouth, some few ■yeara ago, has been appointed organist at tho St. Louis (U.S.A.) World's Exposition next year. Mr Brook was chosen from . amongst about 300 applicants, so that his qualifications for the much-coveted position must have been considered of a superior kind. After leaving New Zealand Mr Brook went to Honolulu, where he secured an appointment as organist. This was about two years ago ; since then he went to San \Francisco, and now he has climbed to the "top of the tree," so to speak, by securing the very important, lucrative appointment of organist at the St. Louis World's Exposition, 1904. Some evidence of the amount of money sent out of the colony m connection with Tattersall's sweeps may be gleaned from the annual report of the Postal Department presented to Parliament the other day. The number of money orders issued m New Zealand for Tasmania m 1901 was 69,012, representing a value of £62,184. The embargo established m regard to money orders for "Tattersall's" has resulted m a large falling off, m 1902 the number of orders being only 14,589, of a value of only £15,628. This, of course, means a loss of revenue to the Post Office. It does not follow, however, that the figures represent the reduction m the amount of money sent out of the colony to- "Tattersall's," for there are now agencies doing business m the interest of the firm. The sly-grog selling prosecution at Tapanui ■ (says the Otago Daily Times) occasioned a great deal of local interest, and the Courtroom was crowded throughout the proceedings. When the ''exhibits" were brought m, and a dozen bottles of whisky and two dozen of wine were displayed the interest became very keen, while the Crown Prosecutoi*, disregarding the exasperating effect on an audience m a prohibition district, placed some of the bottles m a. row on the bench. The height of aggravation, however, was reached when a constable giving evidence was told to test the contents of two of the bottles. The Court listened and watched while the constable drew the corks, poured out the liquor and tested it, and the finishing touch was added by counsel for the defence asking the inspector of police- when there' would be a vacancy m the police force, as it seemed a "job worth applying for." Mr James Kowin, the well-known butter dealer, arrived at Hawera from England on Wednesday last, and was promptly interviewed on the dairy question by a Star reporter. In regard to the coming season, Mr Kowin thinks it is scarcely to be expected that for cheese the high market of last season will recur ; and no doubt there is at present a superabundance of butter, but it does not follow that that will be- the position when our export season begins. Though it would be a drawback to have stored butter which cannot possibly be so good as the freshly-made article going on the market at the opening of the season, still he hopes circumstances will minimise that, and does no.fc think that the outlook is so gloomy as some people profess to think it. Possibly those who consign will get as good average results as m past years. At the Cape he found business very dull, owing to heavy storage and small demand. He has no confidence of an immediate improvement there, though he was informed by those on" the spot that matters will resume their nomal level m six or seven months' time.